Wrist watch



M. MERZ WRIST WATCH Feb. 24, 1942.

Filed Aug. 26, 1940 Full.

Inwcntor MAURICE MERZ.

ZELMA Gttorueg Patented Feb. 24, 1 942 WRIST WATCH Maurice Merz, Malverne, N. Y., assignor to Longines-Wittnauer Watch Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application August 26, 1940, Serial No. 354,161

6 Claims.

This invention relates to wrist watches and more particularly to wrist watch cases and the wrist encircling members or bracelets attached thereto.

One object of the invention is to provide a wrist watch having a watch case provided with means to facilitate the attachment thereto of the ends of the bracelet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrist watchyith a bracelet comprising a single cord or the like of substantial thickness, as distinct from bracelets which comprise folded strands, and to provide the watch case with means for attaching the opposite ends of the bracelet to the watch case securely and in a manner well adapted to commercial manufacturing operations.

A further object of the invention is generally to provide a watch case with bracelet-end attaching means of improved construction.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be more fully understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying illustrative drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a wrist watch embodying the present invention, showing the attached end portions of the bracelet;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the wrist watch, with part of the watch case and one of the braceletend attaching devices in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the watch case on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a watch case of a different contour and illustrating a flexible metal bracelet.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the wrist watch l embodying the present invention comprises a watch case l2 which can be of any desired construction. As here shown, said watch case is formed of an upper part I4 and a lower part l6 interfltting with each other, the side of the upper part overlapping the side of the lower part and preferably providing a flush side wall.

The bracelet-end attaching means comprises tubular members l8 secured to the watch case at the opposite ends, thereof and projecting from said opposite ends, respectively. As here shown, tubular members l8 are secured to the upper part M of the watch case in any suitable way, for example, by being soldered thereto. Thus the lower part I6 of the watch case can be removed without interference by said tubular members. The inner ends of members It! which are secured to the watch case are provided with internal peripheral flanges 20 which are secured directly to the watch case part 14 in abutting relation thereto, and in the form shown herein are closed by the latter as illustrated in Fig. 2. The outer ends of the tubular members I8 are open and are defined by internal peripheral flanges 22.

The bracelet by which the watch is secured to the wearers wrist comprises two parts 24 and 26 secured at their inner ends in said tubular members Hi. The bracelet can be formed of any suitable material such as, for example, fabric, leather, metal, etc. and is preferably of substantial thickness and of any suitable cross-section, here shown as circular. The opposite end portions 28 of the bracelet are preferably secured in position in their companion tubular members by pins 30 extending transversely of tubular members I8 and passing through said end portions 28 of the bracelet. Pins 30 can be secured in position in any suitable way, for example, by flattening the opposite outer ends 32 thereof. Parts 24 and 26 of the bracelet are provided with end attaching members 34 and 36 releasably secured to each other by a clasp 38 of any desired construction whereby one part of the bracelet can be disconnected from the other part for attachment and removal of the wrist watch. It will be understood that clasp 38 can be an extensible connector of any suitable type.

It will be observed that tubular members l8 conform substantially in width, especially at their outer ends, to the thickness of the bracelet, and it will be noted that the end portions 28 of the bracelet substantially close the open ends of said tubular members. Bracelet parts 24 and 26 are, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, formed of fabric of circular cross-section. Said bracelet, however, can be formed of other materials as indicated above, and as illustrated in Fig. 4 said bracelet is formed of flexible metal indicated at 24a. Also, it will be understood that the watch case can be of any suitable configuration. Thus as illustrated in Fig. 4, said watch case comprises on the upper and lower parts Ma and IE1; thereof end projections [4b and 16b. The tubular members Na in which the opposite ends of the bracelet are secured are of the same construction as tubular members l8 and are secured to the upper part of the watch case and more particularly to the end projecting portions l4b.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here shown and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts can be made. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein specifically shown or described except to the extent which may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrist watch comprising a case, having tubular members secured at their inner ends to the opposite ends of the case in abutting relation thereto and thereby closed, said tubular members being open at their outer ends, and a bracelet having opposite end portions thereof projecting into and secured in said tubular members, respectively, through said open ends thereof, said end portions of the bracelet closing said outer ends of the tubular members.

2. A wrist watch comprising a case, having tubular members secured to the opposite ends of the case, and projecting in opposite directions. respectively, therefrom, said tubular members being open at their outer ends, a bracelet having opposite end portions thereof projecting into said tubular members, respectively, and pins secured in said tubular members transversely thereof and passing through said end portions, respectively, for securing the same in said tubular members.

3. A wrist watch comprising a case, having tubular members secured to the opposite ends of the case, said tubular members being open at their outer ends and having their inner ends secured directly to said case and closed thereby, and a bracelet having opposite end portions thereof projecting into and secured in said tubular members, respectively, through said open ends thereof, said open ends of said tubular members having inwardly directed peripheral flanges, said end portions of said bracelet substantially closing said flanged open ends of said tubular members.

4. A wrist watch comprising a case, having tubular members secured to the opposite ends of the case, and projecting in opposite directions, respectively therefrom, said tubular members being open at their outer ends, a. bracelet having opposite end portions thereof projecting into said tubular members, respectively, and pins secured in said tubular members transversely thereof and passing through said end portions, respectively, for securing the same in said tubular members,

" said end portions of said bracelet substantially closing the open ends of said tubular members.

5. A wrist watch comprising a case, having tubular members secured at their inner ends to the opposite ends of the case, said tubular members being peripherally continuous and having openings at their outer ends substantially narrower than said case, and a bracelet having opposite end portions thereof projecting into and secured in said tubular members, respectively, through said open ends thereof, said end portions of the bracelet terminating within said tubular members, respectively.

6. A wrist watch comprising a case, having tubular members secured at their end to the opposite ends of the case in abutting relation thereto and thereby closed, said tubular members having openings at their outer ends substantially narrower than said case, and a bracelet having opposite end portions thereof projecting into and secured in said tubular members, respectively,

through said open ends thereof, said end portions of said bracelet substantially closing the open ends of said tubular members.

MAURICE MERZ. 

